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Cash fed cattle prices traded at steady to firm money last week, while stocker and feeder cattle sold weak to $5 lower, with the full decline found on mid-weight 500 to 700 pound yearlings. Both live cattle and feeder cattle futures prices declined for the week, as did boxed beef prices. Choice boxed beef prices ended the week at $187 per hundredweight, with Select boxes at $183. The choice/Select spread is widening seasonally.

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With an eye toward increasing participation without reducing standards, the national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is introducing a new set of guidelines for cow-calf operators.

The BQA Cow-Calf Assessment will feature three tiers to allow producers to enter the program while continuing to improve their proficiency in producing top-quality animals, says Ryan Ruppert, director of the voluntary program. The goal of the checkoff-funded effort is to help create a higher level of trust with consumers.

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A new Pew Commission-funded study conducted by Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Flagstaff, Ariz., misleads consumers about the safety of U.S. meat and poultry, which are among the safest in the world.

According to a press release from TGen, the study found “unexpectedly high rates” of drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in meat and poultry products sampled.

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Keeping the bellies of nearly half a million head of cattle full requires a steady diet of corn, Cactus Feeders’ Ray Minkley says. Despite record prices for the grain, he’s got no plans to change his menu.

Minkley, a commodity buyer for Amarillo, Tex.-based Cactus, said his company examines its feed rations frequently, looking for ways to reduce costs. Still, substituting corn with other options, such as wheat, isn’t something that can be done on a day-to-day basis.

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Livestock Industry Unites In Condemnation Of Dairy Calf Abuse shown in recently released video footage. A statement from eight Texas cattle, dairy and ag organizations, including TCFA, said the groups “are appalled by the deplorable euthanasia methods depicted in the Mercy for Animals video. They in no way reflect the actions of the thousands of Texas farmers and ranchers who work hard every day to provide their animals with the best care possible.

“Blunt force is specifically prohibited as a means of euthanasia by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association. The euthanasia methods in this video violate these standards.
“The industry works hard to ensure farmers and ranchers are trained in all areas of animal care and treatment and will continue those efforts.
“We encourage and support a full investigation by local authorities. Good animal care and treatment is an obligation, not an option for farmers and ranchers, and we take this responsibility very seriously.”
According to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), in the event that a disease or condition results in the need for an animal’s euthanasia, there are guidelines available for humane euthanasia (http://www.aabp.org/resources/euth.pdf).
“Any person witnessing willful acts of animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect, such as those portrayed in this video, bears responsibility for immediately contacting local authorities in lieu of continued observation or video-recording for other ulterior motivations,” AABP said. “Animal care programs are available to all cattle owners to provide structured on-farm training and animal welfare assessments. The veterinary profession strongly promotes humane care and handling practices for all livestock, and the abuse seen in this situation cannot be tolerated.”